Festus Keyamo, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development has mandated the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to address air ticket funds within 24 hour which has remained unresolved by some airlines, especially those that have recently suspended flight operations.
The minister said this on Thursday at the Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA), Lagos, during the launch of the NCAA Consumer Protection Portal, which would ensure real-time lodging of complaints by air travellers and its resolve by the apex regulatory agency in the industry.
Speaking at the launch of the portal, Keyamo lamented that some passengers who had hitherto booked to fly with some of the suspended airlines were finding it difficult to reclaim their funds, despite all the efforts such passengers had made in the past.
Keyamo noted that antics by the airlines would not be allowed by the government and directed the NCAA to by Friday inform the public on steps it had taken to resolve such complaints.
Keyamo said: “I am not unaware of the complaints of people whose money has not been refunded by certain airlines that have stopped operations due to safety concerns. I receive a huge number of such complaints in my emails, text messages and direct messages. I have been a lawyer of the Federal Republic for over 30 years before I was called to serve my fatherland. People find a way to send these complaints to me and that is why I receive some of these complaints directly.
“For the airlines that have not refunded passengers’ money, there must be a public statement by the NCAA by the end of Friday latest. Let the public know what is happening to that money. I know you have resolved that. Let’s not pretend as if we are not hearing anything about this. People bought tickets before the airlines ran into troubled waters. What happened to their money? What plans do you have to refund them? This is part of consumer protection.
“Please, the NCAA should come out with a public statement to show what they are doing about resolving the issue.”
Keyamo said that the launch of the Consumer Protection Portal by the NCAA would ease complaints and ensure efficiency in the system.
He explained that the viability of the industry would be determined by the attention paid to the travelling public and commended the leadership of NCAA, especially the Consumer Protection Directorate for the initiative.
Also in his welcome address, Capt. Chris Najomo, the Acting Director-General of Civil Aviation (ADGCA), said that upon his assumption of office in December 2023, he had two mandates – Minister’s five-point agenda and Mr. President’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
He explained that the collective desire to fulfil these tasks within the timeline was driven by the need to revolutionise consumer protection activities in NCAA, while also enforcing airlines’ compliance with the regulatory requirements in Part 19 of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations.
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